


A Dusty Young Qrow

by alaswoeisme



Category: RWBY
Genre: Abuse, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Child Abuse, Drama, Drinking, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Happy Ending, Happy Ending, Incest, M/M, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon, STRQ, Sibling Incest, Threesome, Threesome - F/M/M, Underage Drinking, Underage Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-03-28 05:30:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13897290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alaswoeisme/pseuds/alaswoeisme
Summary: A look at STRQ, Qrow's participation in canon events and, finally, his life after the defeat of Salem. The fic focuses on Qrow's drinking, sex antics and other misadventures, but, mostly, on Grimm adventures and missions. Or at least that's the plan...





	1. Welcome to Beacon - the most uncivilised civilised place the Branwen twins have ever journeyed to

Qrow and his sister, Raven, had been sent to Beacon Academy to learn how to kill huntsmen and huntresses – the natural enemies of the bandit tribe that had been worse than an evil stepmother to Qrow. As such, the teenager never intended to do what the clan leaders had instructed the siblings to do. Raven could go on a killing spree for all he cared. She and he had never seen eye to eye when it came to the tribe. But Qrow planned to do precisely what was expected of those entering the academy – to become a huntsman and fight for money, glory and women, amongst other things. Hell, one could never have enough of these three.

Nearing the ground interrupted his line of thought… He expanded his scythe, spread it out, thrust the point into the trunk of a tree, interrupting his freefall, and spiralled around the tall tree in a downward direction, landing softly and soundlessly on the ground, no more clumsily than a cat. Or a crow. No sooner had he folded his weapon and smoothed out his clothes and hair than a red portal appeared next to him. Out stepped Raven in her usual black clothes and condescending spirits.

‘No time for displays of vanity, little brother. We are being observed and evaluated,’ she said evenly, sheathing her sword.

The brother, who was slightly taller than his sister in actuality, made sure to look her in the eye, a long and forced stare filled with the same disparagement and mock-anger.

‘Do you want us to fight?’ she asked a little surprised.

‘Eye contact, Raven. Without it, you’re not my partner even though you dragged your ruffled feathers to my side.’

‘Whatever,’ she waved him off and led towards their goal.

The siblings reached the relics easily. The grim they encountered were child’s play compared to what they had faced on a nearly daily basis while protecting the tribe and toddler’s play compared to the enemies they had fought off on their way to the academy the week before. The brother and sister now stood surrounded by small pedestals, various cutlery and crockery atop. Raven raised an eyebrow and picked up a knife.

‘I wonder if these teachers are desperately trying to be original or just don’t care that much about what they do,’ she mused, murmuring to herself mostly.

Her brother shrugged, uninterested, and the pair headed back. Later that day they were introduced to the rest of their team – a beautiful silver-eyed girl and a haughty blond boy, both quite short and beaming at the introduction. The four were directed to their room but when she entered, Summer was surprised to realise:

‘So… All four of us are going to share a room?’ she asked, incredulous.

‘Yeah,’ Qrow confirmed after no one else had said anything, ‘Don’t worry though, I won’t do anything while you’re getting undressed. Except stare,’ he teased with a lewd smile. The startled girl shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest, looking away from the ebony-haired lad.

‘It’s going to be a long four years,’ she sighed and started unpacking.

The twins had little in the way of luggage. Each had brought several almost identical outfits, both siblings preferred black, it would seem, and some of their clothes were even difficult to pin as Qrow’s or Raven’s. Especially the black shirts and socks. The other pair, however, started pulling various articles out of their suitcases. In no time the walls were covered in posters, boy bands that Summer liked and martial arts sketches that Taiyang had brought. Dozens of books were slid neatly onto the shelves and when the space had been filled out, they had been stacked wherever possible. Several mugs, comic collections and accessories also adorned the room. Satisfied and excited, Summer and Tai joined their teammates on the floor, sitting and crossing their legs. Little had been said. Qrow and Raven had mostly discussed fighting techniques and the weak points and behaviour of the Grimm they had encountered.

‘So,’ Tai began, ‘I’m from Patch and I come from a long line of huntsmen… though my family are famous herbal healers, on my mother’s side.’

‘Yes, I thought “Xiao Long” sounded familiar. Your father or grandfather patented a few antidotes, didn’t he?’ Qrow chimed in, almost excited.

‘My great granduncle, actually. But yeah. So?’

Looking to the two females, the blond gave his warmest smile. Summer looked down shyly and replied:

‘My family are writers, mostly,’ she said embarrassed, ‘Fiction. Children’s stories, other stories, novels…’ she trailed off, ‘But once I discovered I could actually become a warrior and help people for real, I immediately started training hard to come here,’ she smiled, looking more confident now.

The black-haired duo nodded in understanding. They were well-versed in Remnant’s history, founts of power and legends. They knew the silver eyes Summer had cast their way were a truly powerful weapon. Raven was even a little jealous, as the power of her red eyes paled in comparison…

‘My brother and I come from a distant tribe. The chiefs recognised our potential and sent us here to perfect our skills and tactics,’ Raven explained in a rehearsed manner.

Darkness had settled over the school grounds. With the team’s introductions and meal complete, they decided to head to their beds, which were in the four corners of the room, as classes began the next day. Raven stripped and climbed into her bed without any sideways glance or sign of awkwardness. Despite that, her three roommates had made a point of not looking at her. Tai was trying to be a gentleman, Summer was shy enough to compensate for Raven’s utter lack of bashfulness and Qrow merely made a show of being tactful, since he preferred for his new friends not to know exactly how far the closeness between himself and his sister went. Could they really become friends, he wondered. He had had fewer than the number of limbs standardly associated with people and he was determined to give this whole team-thing a shot. Without taking it too seriously, of course. He suspected his new friends would start hating him the moment they found out about his semblance.

Summer changed into her pyjamas, red-faced despite her team’s not looking at her. Even Qrow had decided not to tease her, after all. Tai simply removed his shirt and jumped onto his bed with more force than necessary.

‘Mmm, comfy,’ he cooed, ‘Gotta hand it to the staff and administration here – the place is five times posher than my home!’

‘Oh, you,’ Qrow chuckled, amused at how small a difference that was compared to what he himself was used to. Sleeping on the ground, in tents, at best, and in trees, in the rain or upright, at worst. Throw in a couple of caves here and there, as well as a raft, once.

The memory made the black-haired teenage boy shudder. Hopefully, here he could live in normal conditions, both in terms of comfort and people. His teammates seemed nice, he thought. Attractive too, especially the blond. Summer was indeed beautiful but she had this innocence about her that prevented Qrow from getting any ideas. Even the way she was talking to Tai at the moment – something about flowers and their healing properties. She was very enthusiastic about the topic. A child’s happiness in her voice. Tai, on the other hand… He seemed an option to Qrow, who also started taking his clothes off. Having removed everything, he was still listening to Summer, when he chimed in to correct her about something.

‘Actually, these healing properties largely depend on where the plant grows – on the soil.’

She turned to him to ask but immediately covered her face with her hands.

‘Gods, Qrow, don’t you have clothes to sleep in?’ she enquired in a muffled voice.

‘No. Why would I?’ he grinned, getting into his bed.

The rustling of the covers signalled to Summer that she could open her eyes now, which she did and scolded the still-grinning huntsman-in-training.

‘Well, imagine that a fire breaks out. And we need to evacuate immediately. Or someone attacks us… Are you going to run or fight in your birthday suit? Or get burned alive while you’re trying to put on your fancy black pants with all those shiny buttons?’

‘Look, sweetheart,’ Qrow retorted arrogantly, ‘if I need to fight or flee for my life, the last thing on my mind is gonna be whether I run down the corridor with my ding-dong swinging or in p-jays. I plan to share it with at least half the school anyway.’

‘You’re impossible!’ Summer squeaked, hiding her face once again.

Tai just gave a loud laugh. Qrow made a note of that approval. Raven just sighed, shifting her gaze from the time-table she had been studying in bed and to her brother:

‘I hope you outgrow this, Qrow. Too many snide jokes is insufferable but all of them about sexual things – now that just makes you look pathetic.’

‘The only one snider than me, dear sister,’ he returned with a lopsided smile, winking at her and turning off the light.

Everyone nestled into the puff blankets and closed their eyes. Some of them had just started to dose off when a loud crash made them all jolt.

‘I told you so,’ Summer chided childishly while pulling the string of her bed lamp, seeing the bookcase which had fallen apart.

Then they all laughed, even Raven. Qrow felt a weight off his shoulders. Perhaps his semblance wouldn’t ruin everything this time.


	2. Flowers, Testosterone and Gin

At breakfast Qrow sat next to Summer. Raven and Tai were arm-wrestling opposite.

‘So there was this traveller that stayed at our camp once,’ Qrow almost whispered to his teammate, ‘and he needed some flower or other because a snake had bitten him. He found what he was looking for, mixed it with some salt and who knows what that he took from us and tried to heal himself. But he just kept getting worse and worse.’

Summer was now looking into Qrow’s eyes, listening to the story very carefully.

‘So, uh, he died in the end. Turns out he knew what flower he needed but didn’t know that the soil where our camp was had a very different composition. So, yeah. Basically, the flower didn’t have the healing properties he thought it should.’

‘That’s a horrible story,’ Summer returned with a downcast glance now.

Qrow didn’t know how to respond so he said nothing else. Instead he watched as Tai kept beating Raven and she kept fuming…

‘Better find someone to work on our bookcase,’ Qrow decided as he stood up, ‘before class starts.’

With that he left the hall without having had breakfast.

A lot of furniture needed repairs over the next weeks of the semester. Luckily, Tai and Summer assumed it was due to the constant sparring and STRQ members crashing into various objects around the room. The two boys obviously had a lot of hormones to spur them on and a lot of excess energy because they kept fighting each other despite the rigorous training regime of the academy. Qrow recognised Tai’s immense potential as a fighter and wanted to make good use of that. The raven-haired teen was scrawny and definitely not as strong as his opponent. He saw the vast difference in power and style and wanted to learn from that. The blond had a similar view. He acknowledged the other’s speed and agility, the skill with which he utilised his lithe body to the fullest in battle, and wanted to increase his experience of fighting such opponents. Inside, Qrow didn’t use his scythe. He had damaged the room plenty with his semblance alone. But outside in the grounds, the weapon made for completely different sparring practice.

Raven saw more to these unarmed fights than the desire for knowledge. She had flat-out called her brother masochistic on more than one occasion. Indeed, he always told Tai not to hold back and took a look of damage in unarmed combat, being carried to the infirmary a couple of times. But his retort was always that out there, in the real world, his enemies would hurt him even worse and he needed to be ready. He needed to practise and learn how to defend himself even without a weapon. His sister merely scoffed and called him a sicko. Summer, on the other hand, was worried about the truth behind Raven’s accusations. The silver-eyed girl saw a lot of sadness and darkness in Qrow and often left the room when the fight became too violent, justifying herself with the words that carnage was something she would get used to but violence among her friends was not. Tai, luckily, read nothing into Qrow’s insistence on these unarmed fights.

And now the two boys were weaponless and Tai was even trying to give his friend some pointers.

‘If you’re fighting someone stronger, the best thing is to avoid hits. What you do already, yeah. But how can you go on the offensive then, with no weapon?’ the blond lectured while holding his teammate in a headlock.

Qrow growled but couldn’t free himself of the strong hold. He twisted in all directions but the bruising grip was an unbeatable force. Tai let go.

‘A good option is to use the attacker’s momentum against them,’ the blue-eyed fighter continued.

Then he flew at Qrow again, blocking a few of his hits and grabbing him from behind again. The two struggled like that for a minute. Tai wasn’t letting go this time. His sparring partner seemingly gave up but in the very same second he put a very sharp dagger to Tai’s neck.

‘If someone stronger than you is holding you, the only thing to do is use a trick,’ Qrow explained in the very same professor-like voice. Little did the two know that they would both become teachers.

Tai let go of the taller boy and contemplated the situation.

‘Yeah,’ he agreed, watching the other put his blade away, ‘once you are caught, there is little else you can do.’

‘I’m starting to think this is pointless, Tai. I fight with a weapon because I’m not good without it. Let’s just go out and practise the way we would normally fight. I’ve had enough headlocks for one day.’

The shorter but heavier fighter nodded and slung his arm across his friend’s shoulders, heading out with him and looking to Raven to say ‘bye’ but his blood froze when he saw her glance. She was looking daggers at him, much sharper than the one her brother had put to his neck.

Once they were outside earshot, the blond asked his very contrasting friend:

‘I get the feeling your sister doesn’t like me very much,’ he admitted in a vulnerable voice which signalled to Qrow that the other man had initiated a bro moment with him. Scoffing, the brother clarified:

‘Nah. Raven hates everyone. Even me. Don’t take it so hard.’

‘Yeah, but… If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was jealous.’

‘Of whom?’ Qrow asked genuinely.

‘Not sure. You two are close, right? Maybe she thinks you’re neglecting her to spar with me.’

‘Or, maybe, she’s really into you and would love nothing more than be held hostage like that,’ Qrow held an exaggerated headlock position, chuckling.

‘I wish,’ came Tai’s reply, much more honest than the red-eyed teenager had expected.

‘You like her?’

Qrow’s tone betrayed curiosity only and nothing more. Tai avoided Qrow’s eyes and rubbed his neck, looking up and around nervously.

‘Yeah, man. You know. She’s so strong and independent and confident and…’

‘Really hot,’ Qrow finished for him.

‘Aren’t you supposed to say “Don’t touch my sister!” or something?’

‘Nah. You can’t hurt her. If anything, I should protect -you- from -her-,’ Qrow laughed and motioned for them to continue their walk.

They fought for another hour or so before returning to the girls with numerous scratches and bruises. Tai couldn’t help but glance at Raven who was looking into various ways to improve her dust utilisation. Qrow couldn’t help but feel relieved that he had already scored with a few cuties and hadn’t fallen for Tai too much. The unlucky huntsman-in-training knew better than to allow himself to develop actual feelings for anyone. That was a recipe for disaster. Either they wouldn’t be returned, especially after his semblance had become known, or if they were, only misfortune would befall the ones Qrow loved. He felt his heart sink at the thought of spending his whole life with no real connection to anyone but then again – he had practised and was getting quite good at being alone. A brighter thought occurred to him. Perhaps it was time to share that bottle of Atlas gin with his friends – the one he had smuggled into the school after persuading a really cute shop assistant to sell it to him – for medical purposes, of course – he was a huntsman in training, after all.

‘Hey, uh. You guys wanna celebrate the end of term?’


	3. Cat Fight

Qrow was mostly asleep, only vaguely aware that someone was shaking him almost violently, trying to wake him up. The moment he realised the implications of that – a possible attack etc. – he opened his eyes suddenly but didn’t have the strength to move. He saw Summer’s pretty face right in front of his.

‘Wake up, we’ll be late for class!’

The boy felt weak and sick. He had an unpleasant taste in his mouth and realised he was probably dehydrated. Not his first drinking night and by far not his last.

‘Okay,’ he said weakly, ‘I’m up.’

With great effort he got up, got dressed, drank two bottles of water and followed Summer out. In the arena-like hall, his sister and Tai were already seated and looked to be cooing in each other’s ears. When they saw the rest of their team, they disentangled their fingers and Tai waved. Qrow found it extremely difficult to go up the few stairs that separated him from his sister and best friend.

The previous night he had downed almost the entire bottle while his teammates had each had less than a glass of gin.

‘I know you’re really determined to be a rebel and rule-breaker,’ Summer turned to him, taking her seat next to Raven, ‘but you can get yourself killed like that.’

‘It will take a lot more than one bottle to kill -me-, sunshine,’ Qrow assured in a strained voice.

No one dared argue with him and even if they were thinking about it, they didn’t have the chance to, because professor Peach walked in. She was a tall and strong woman, very young and very reddish. She was some kind of mountain lion faunus and her teaching and attitude deviated little from her lion-like looks.

‘Good morning, everyone. We’ll continue with sparring practice today,’ she announced in a loud voice that could be heard quite clearly even at the last rows. Taking out her register hologram, she eyed the students, choosing her victim. When she saw Qrow’s pained looks, she immediately called out to him. ‘Mr Branwen. You haven’t participated for some time now. Would you like to come down to the arena?’ she commanded, no trace of actual question there. Despite that, the now-proclaimed rebel replied:

‘I’d love to, really, but I don’t feel so good.’

‘Nonsense, Mr Branwen. If you are well enough to attend class, you are well enough to participate.’

‘No, really. I’m hung-over,’ Qrow gritted his teeth, feeling even more nauseous from the effort to communicate. A murmur spread around the hall. The truth was that he wasn’t hung-over really. Just tired and nauseated. He never got hangovers. Something to do with his metabolism, he suspected.

‘You do know drinking is against the regulations? Especially for minors,’ the professor reminded, again not really asking.

‘Yes, I know.’

‘Well, your enemies won’t wait for you to feel well to attack you,’ Peach said, matter-of-factly, ‘Let’s find you an opponent with no losses, to match your own… -stainless- record.’

Qrow went down the steps reluctantly. He was feeling more awake now and didn’t feel so weak in the legs. He also figured that just because his stomach was reproaching him for drinking too much, that didn’t mean he had to lose. Besides. The wild cat had a point. Out there his enemies wouldn’t interview him about his general condition before attacking him.

‘Lyn Jade,’ Peach called.

Thinking of wild cats. A male faunus descended the steps in a lively fashion, very eager to start the match. So, this kid had zero losses in sparing class. He was a tad shorter than Qrow but looked very agile and tough. A couple of lynx ears ascended from his short but unruly tawny hair and a pair of jade-green eyes glistened below. Figures. Qrow gave a lewd smile and teased, feeling completely awake now:

‘If you fight half as good as you look, I might as well surrender now.’

‘Keep it professional, Mr Branwen,’ Peach warned, even more annoyed than when she had heard about the drinking. Perhaps she saw the comment as discriminatory towards faunus? It was a compliment, really, Qrow thought as he reached for his weapon.

‘Don’t worry, professor. I’ll wipe the floor with him, cute as he is,’ he continued.

‘And see me after class. You may begin the match!’

‘You’re just an emo punk with a death wish,’ Lyn said with all the hatred in the world, vividly contrasting with his sweet melodic voice. The pitch black clothes, the earrings, the black nails, the other shiny trinkets… Qrow could see why the other boy would call him that but it didn’t mean the annoyance was any less. On either part.

Lyn stepped sideways, still eyeing up his opponent. Nor did Qrow expect a blind charge from someone who had no losses. The black-haired teen hadn’t seen this other boy before. Hadn’t noticed him, at least. To think he would. With those looks. Strafing in a circular pattern, around and around they went, neither attacking. Then Qrow folded his weapon into its gun form and shot at the faunus, who leapt aside with amazing speed. Dodging bullets from such close range was quite impressive. Hardly had his small feet touched the floor when he made a second leap at a sharper angle and the brownish-gold fighter was flying towards his opponent. Qrow blocked a potential hit with his sword – the smaller boy had a pair of claws in either hand. The sharp blades appeared gold at first but they glistened in an odd way. In all the colours of the spectrum, glinting like water. Qrow had little time to inspect his opponent’s weapon, however. Said opponent jumped back and crouched for another attack. This one was lightning. Figuratively. The raven-haired fighter assumed the aim of the last attack was to knock him over because the attempted slash was badly executed but the force of the leap was considerable. With one foot back Qrow managed to stand his ground. Then he slashed and dashed across the podium, trying to hit the small figure that was springing into every direction faster than the average eye could see. Qrow attempted shooting again but his opponent was too fast. He could dodge each slash and bullet thrown at him. Several students shrieked and hid behind their own weapons, evading Qrow’s ranged attacks. He didn’t even notice. He was solely focused on his target and ignorant of potential collateral damage. Luckily, that was why professors were there. To observe and make sure the audience stayed in one piece.

As his standard attacks failed, the black-haired participant stopped trying. His opponent stood still at the centre of the arena and leapt at him again. Qrow jumped back this time but the faunus’ weapon, as if of its own volition, suddenly extended at Qrow, who dodged at the last possible moment by stepping back and bending backwards, his head halfway to his feet, lining a perfect letter C. The cute guy’s weapon could change form! And not like Qrow’s own – not based on several predefined forms and models – but could grow and shrink and change shape like fluid. Was it dust? Was it a semblance? Raven would love this! He hoped she was watching carefully.

Repositioning himself, Qrow was shaken out of his thoughts by another attack. The claw weapons took on the shape of spears again, stretching in the direction of their target. Now the taller boy was put in the position of dodging and jumping around like a frog. His nausea was getting worse. He was sure he would trip, vomit and be pierced by one of these things, whatever they were. Or, best case scenario, take little enough damage to deplete his aura only. He wondered if anyone had been killed during sparring recently. The teachers were always careful to select evenly matched opponents for that reason precisely, but you never know, he thought.

Spinning around the arena, Qrow also wondered how long this match would continue. The two seemed evenly matched. Neither had managed to land a single hit. If his stomach could, then Qrow too could keep this up forever. His physical energy was virtually inexhaustible. But his patience was another matter. What he wanted was food and rest. So he focused his aura, trying to augment his semblance while simultaneously keeping enough focus to dodge the needle-like aspects that threatened to stick him up like a pig.

Just then, one of the lights came falling down after a loud creak. Several were hung from the ceiling, illuminating the whole hall, but they appeared much smaller than what they turned out to be – the one spotlight crashed onto the arena, making a few of the girls shriek, destroying a good third of the floor, the central part of the arena around which the two fighters and the professor were. Qrow was happy his bad luck had worked in his favour and leapt at the distracted faunus, hitting him on the side of the head with his sword’s hilt, sending him to the ground. The smaller boy had not expected the attack, distracted by the huge piece of equipment falling right next to him. Less than a second after the crash, he was flat on his back. Then Qrow put the edge of his blade under Lyn’s chin and gave him another lewd smile although the faunus was still too shocked to register the triumphant look on the victor’s face.

‘Qrow Branwen wins the match!’ Peach announced, ‘Class dismissed. We need to clear away the rubble now, so leave in a quick and orderly manner.’

The winner instinctively looked to the stalls where his team were sitting. Tai gave him a thumbs-up, Raven nodded and Summer smiled. Qrow really cared for them, he realised. Their approval meant so much to him. He wanted to prove himself to them now, not just to himself. Putting his weapon away, he held his hand for Lyn but the latter ignored it. Not out of spite but out of dizziness, it seemed. He turned onto his knees and wobbled onto his feet. The blow to the head had been powerful enough to kill, under different circumstances, and the boy’s aura had handled it well, bottom line.

The students spilled out into the corridors but Qrow turned to the professor.


	4. Naked, of Course

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> weekend updates, wooo

‘Come to my office after your classes today, Mr Branwen,’ Peach instructed.

‘Yes, professor,’ he managed and ran after Lyn, who was dragging his feet after the other students.

‘You okay?’ Qrow enquired after catching up and starting to walk level with the smaller teen.

‘Fuck off, Branwen, you’ve won. Don’t patronise me,’ was the venomous response.

‘Hey, I’m serious. I’ve killed Grimm with a blow like that. I’m not trying to rub it in.’

‘What are you trying to do then?’

‘Make sure you’re okay. Look,’ he sighed, ‘it was just a match, nothing personal,’ he thought about it for a second but decided to risk it anyway, ‘besides, you’re a great huntsman. If it hadn’t been for pure luck, you might have beaten me. I just wanna ask if you want to spar again sometime. You know, outside of class?’

The faunus stopped for a second to eye the other teen carefully.

‘You mean you want us to train together, because we’re both high-level fighters?’

‘Yeah, exactly,’ Qrow smiled.

The two started walking again.

‘Yes, that sounds logical. No point wasting our time with weaklings.’

‘Erm, yeah,’ the black-haired teenager extended his hand, ‘nice to meet you. And one more thing,’ he deployed his most charming smile, ‘Wanna get lunch? I really need to eat something after all that booze last night…’

***

‘I worry about you, brother,’ Raven said from behind the corned, almost making Qrow jump.

He had gone to the bathroom and she had apparently sneaked inside without him hearing her. It was the middle of the night, probably between one and four and the male sibling wondered what the hell this was about.

‘How so?’ he ventured, closing the door so they wouldn’t wake the others.

‘First you take to sparring with Tai almost daily, now you find a new sparring partner or whatever partner. I don’t know if you’re dating that Lyn guy or if you just want him to beat the shit out of you like Tai does, but I’m starting to think you’ve lost your mind.’

‘The hell is wrong with you?!’ Qrow whisper-screamed, ‘You’ve lost it. Don’t you remember why we are here? To learn to kill these people. How am I supposed to kill them if I can’t fight them? Or maybe you’re just jealous that I’ve gotten physical with Tai?’

At that Raven blushed visibly but her expression remained impervious. Little did she know that her stony gaze was revealed for the façade that it was by the blush.

‘That first point, I can take,’ she softened, ‘but don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. You’re making friends with huntsmen, not learning to kill them.’

‘Me?’ asked an incredulous Qrow, ‘I’m not the one holding hands with Tai. Why are you constantly trying to humiliate me? What is this malice, Raven? What’s your fucking problem with me?’

‘My fucking problem, dear brother, is that I can see how loyal you are to the tribe and its leaders. While I agree that we’re all friends here, in this room, I still think you and I are going to have to part ways because of our differing perspectives.’

With that, she turned on her heel and left for her bed, naked, of course. Why would she wear pyjamas?


	5. Teambuilding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls go out to do girly stuff and the boys stay in to have sex. Enjoy!

Qrow was on his knees, onto his bed, and right above him was Tai. What had started as a girls’ day out and guys’ day in had turned into much more than that, to Qrow’s utter pleasure. Literally. Now he was enjoying Tai’s handling him, outside of a headlock, for a change. The blond’s touch was not much different, still as strong as a vice, but the frustration on the part of the black-haired participant was not present, which made for a much more pleasant interaction. Tai’s words interrupted Qrow’s train of thought.

‘So, uh. You got something to, uh, get things going more smoothly?’

Qrow didn’t bother responding but just reached under his bed to produce a tiny jar of something that looked like coconut oil. But the smell indicated otherwise. Nor did Tai care. Instead, he lubricated his friend’s opening and proceeded to penetrate him gently, wondering about how often he had reached under his bed in the exact same way… A quiet groan escaped Qrow’s lips. Tai licked his and his mind immediately went from wondering about Qrow’s sex exploits, to enjoying the present one. All he could think of was how good Qrow felt around him and under him. Tai sped up his thrusts but a low voice warned him:

‘Gently.’

More of an instruction than a complaint. But the teen slowed down nonetheless. Pulling out unhurriedly and then advancing just as slowly. His partner made a low and continuous guttural sound. They continued for a few minutes, Tai’s movements deliberate and his hold on Qrow’s ribs bruising. Then the boy on top sped up his thrusts and dug his nails into the other boy’s sides with the searing pleasure he suddenly felt.

‘Easy, Tai. We’ve got all day,’ Qrow instructed through gritted teeth. But he wasn’t complaining.

Tai pressed his teammate’s back with his palms all of a sudden, pushing his upper half into the bed, holding it down with one hand while moving his other one to Qrow’s thigh to keep his lower half level with his pelvis. Then he increased the speed. Qrow dug his nails into the sheet, gasping unevenly. There was something about the contrast that seemed very kinky to Tai: doing exactly the opposite of the instruction (Who the hell did Qrow think he was, anyway? Telling Tai how to fuck him?), the black nails and the pale pinkish sheets, or were they peach? Coral? The black hairs on Qrow’s limbs and the golden ones on Tai’s… It all seemed so surreal to the blond fighter. He felt light-headed with desire. He had never expected to get into such physical interactions with his teammates. Let alone a male teammate. But apparently Qrow had a way of seducing everyone. Tai knew for a fact about several girls his friend had slept with and could only guess how high the actual number went. Then there was his sister. But the blond tried not to think about her.

Instead he became rougher and soon tangled his fingers in Qrow’s hair, yanking it mercilessly, pulling him away from the bed and flipping him onto his back. Then he penetrated him again, holding up his legs by the thighs. Qrow’s knees were almost to his ears, legs bent and eyes bleary, Tai noticed. There was no trace of shame or discomfort or any emotion really. Just wanton lust. This dark teen really had some issues, Tai thought. This cool, borderline cold exterior… He wondered how far down it actually went. But only briefly.

Qrow had tilted his head back now, eyes closed, palms against the headboard. And Tai had no idea if his friend was just enjoying himself or was close already. So he sped up and took Qrow’s penis in one hand, supporting himself with the other by placing it onto the other teen’s ribcage. A few quick jerks elicited a moan from the raven-haired participant. So Tai kept going, finding it difficult to focus on everything at once but giving his best, moving his fingers along Qrow’s shaft in rhythm with the thrusts. When he squeezed harder and felt Qrow tense up and hold his breath, he knew he was doing well. Barely able to stand it, he didn’t have to, not for long, because the boy below him gave a stifled cry and came into his hand, contracting all his muscles, squeezing around Tai so hard that it sent him over the edge as well. The teenager on top growled and dropped onto the panting one under him.

‘You know,’ Qrow began in his cocky tone, a little out of place next to his breathlessness, ‘you should really work on your angle. I know you like to be the one giving the instructions but…’

‘Hey, you didn’t exactly do much…’

‘I wanted to. I tried to but every time I take the initiative, you just flip us over and have your way with me!’

Qrow gave Tai an exaggerated scowl. Then he got out of bed and into the shower. Tai joined him.

‘I sure hope your sister doesn’t find out about this.’

‘Oh,’ Qrow replied in mock-sympathy, ‘She knows.’

‘What?’

‘Yeah. But don’t worry about it. She doesn’t take this stuff that seriously. She knows sex is just sex.’

‘Um. So, do you two, uh…?’

‘Yeah, we’ve been doing it for a couple of years now. But don’t worry about that either. She has something special with you.’

‘You really think so?’ Tai asked like a child who wanted to know if she could have a pony. And Raven’s brother was a little surprised by the hope and happiness in his tone.

‘Yeah. I know her. I’m sure she likes you for real. But be careful. There are more layers to her than meet the eye.’

‘Yeah, I know. That’s what makes her so amazing!’

Qrow just rolled his eyes.

‘Hey, isn’t today your detention or something?’ Tai remembered.

‘Yeah. This evening I’m supposed to go see this professor that we’ve never met.’

‘Evening? What a weird time for a punishment.’

‘Yeah. They’ll probably make me collect tree sap or who knows what and they want more Grimm around koz they know I can handle anything. I don’t know, man, we’ll see.’

After their shower they had plenty of time to rest and joke about the teachers before the girls came back. All of team STRQ seemed quite happy with the outing.


	6. Detention with a Young Professor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow has his detention with Oz.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to update at the end of each week.

Qrow was standing outside the door of _Professor Ozpin something…that-couldn’t-possibly-be-pronounced_ , wondering about the weird last name, when the same door opened and a young man, mid-twenties, dark hair, smiled at him and invited him to come in.

‘Good evening, professor,’ the younger man tried to sound polite.

‘Good evening, Mr Branwen.’

The two sat on opposite sides of a big desk and the very young professor clasped his hands under his nose, in front of his mouth, eying the other male deliberately.

‘You have red eyes,’ the teacher stated, not as a surprise or question but talking to himself as if.

‘Uh. Yeah,’ Qrow wondered if this man knew about the ability that red eyes granted, ‘aaand I’m here about the punishment?’

The student was feeling uncomfortable. If this man knew about what red eyes could see, then he also knew that Qrow knew that the professor wasn’t what he appeared to be.

‘Yes. Professor Peach informed me about your drinking and discrimination towards faunus.’

‘What?’ Qrow genuinely couldn’t believe it, ‘Discrimination? And I thought I was bad at social ques. I was hitting on that guy. Lyn. He’s… uh… attractive.’

But before the student could finish his explanation, the professor interrupted him:

‘Well, I haven’t met him and so I can’t comment on that. So let me start by introducing myself. I’m professor Ozpin. I teach weaponry and mechanics here at Beacon. Most students who enter have no need for the subject but those who take it up as an elective have the chance to upgrade and perfect their weapons or to experiment with new ones. But enough about me. Seeing as you refuse to follow conventions, my colleagues agreed to surrender your punishment to me, because I too am not traditionalist.’

The black-haired teen was leaning back into his chair, arms crossed over his chest. Where was this all going?

‘Thus I have an assignment for you,’ the professor went on, ‘which is more than a bit dangerous. Of course, it is not my intention to endanger students and so I’ll give you a choice. You could either spend the night here, writing _Arrogance is not a virtue_ ten thousand times, as my colleagues intended, or you could take the other option – something of a mission.’

Qrow raised an eyebrow.

‘The mission, of course. That’s why I’m here. To gain experience.’

‘Very well then, Mr Branwen,’ Ozpin continued with an amused look of accomplishment in his face, ‘Your task will be to retrieve a piece of Atlas technology – a chip that can change the future fundamentally. It was stolen by a gang of criminals who will no doubt want a ransom but what is more alarming is that they will surely try to replicate it first, before they are ready to ransom it, and we want to prevent that, of course. Not to mention the possible damage they may do whilst tinkering with it. Now, this happened only yesterday and while the council are discussing the matter in a committee, I believe speed is of the essence. I’ll provide you with the coordinates of the gang’s last known location. But there are a few things you must know. First, you are not going against the Grimm, although you may encounter some en route. You will be facing flesh and blood human beings who, albeit misguided, have the right to live. I don’t want any casualties. I want you to infiltrate their camp and retrieve the piece of technology without killing anyone. Of course, if that fails and you are left with the option of your life at the expense of theirs, I expect nothing less than self-defence on your part. But, for a perfect score, I want you to retrieve the chip with no damage to it or to anyone. Are the priorities clear, Mr Branwen?’

Qrow was more than puzzled by what he had heard. He nodded but couldn’t help but ask:

‘Why me? Shouldn’t you send a trained huntsman or huntress? I’ll do it but I think this is all very… unusual.’

‘Yes, it is unorthodox. And I’ll explain everything once you recover the chip.’

‘You’re sure I’ll succeed?’ the teen was pleased but surprised with the confidence expressed.

‘Yes. I have virtually no doubt that you will succeed.’

Smiling cryptically, the professor stood up but when the student did the same, he motioned for him to keep his seat. Then Ozpin went over to his bookcase and took out a map, on paper. He spread it onto the desk and began his explanation. He told the younger huntsman about the band’s usual movements, their last known course and location and other intel _they_ had on the gang. Who were _they_? Qrow wondered. What was this professor’s affiliation with Atlas’ scientific team?

After Ozpin had shared everything he knew, or claimed to know, about the gang, he asked Qrow to head for their last known location, less than a day’s walk from the school, and try to pick up their trail. Then the teenager proceeded to make his own guesses about where they would be making camp and what speed they would be travelling at. The older man didn’t look surprised about the educated guesses. How much did Ozpin know about Qrow? Did he know about the tribe he came from? Was that why he was entrusting him with this task? Because insider knowledge and experience outweighed the full training of a huntsman? Or was there something more? This was like a test. Qrow was very good at reading people’s intentions, because of his red eyes. He knew a larger game was afoot but didn’t question further. All would be made clear upon success.

‘Well, Mr Branwen, I need to thank you for agreeing to this. And also to ask you to keep it off the record. Not all my colleagues would consent to my sending a student out there. They don’t have the faith in your abilities that I have. Also, your team aren’t to know either. For now, at least. I have plans for them as well. Please, tell them your punishment is a mundane task, far away, and gather what you would need for the trip,’ with that, the two men rose but the older one added, ‘Oh. And the school will compensate you for your travel expenses, of course.’


	7. Ready or not

The forest was as quiet as a tomb and just as cold, dark and eerie. Qrow had taken a cloak in addition to a small bag of provisions, but he wished he had put a sweater or something similar inside as well. He was walking briskly but still felt cold. Perhaps it was his fatigue – he would normally be in bed by this time – or was it anxiety from this unusual happening? All he knew was that the excitement from going on a mission did little to keep him warm. He had started on foot because trains did not run at night and they would go around the area he wanted to search.

 

He paced among the trees, slashing through the occasional Grimm, looking around and smiling. The gothic atmosphere and the thrill of the task to come – he could see himself doing this all his life. Perhaps he wasn’t as unlucky. He preferred the thrill of the hunt to curling up next to a wife, boyfriend or whatever. Maybe he could have both though? A powerful partner like Lyn could be a colleague and a lover… _Focus_!

 

This forest was truly a paradox for the raven-haired youth. He didn’t analyse it but it was. The gloom and slightly humid air were so very refreshing to him. The occasional caws and squeaks were as sweet as birdsong. Perhaps more so. Because birdsong was cliché. It was overrated and boring. Mysterious darkness was fresh and exciting. It was thrilling and motivating. The bare branches, twisting into the fallow sky, ending into ether as if. The cold air, equalising the chill to the skin with a coolness in the lungs. The subtle smell or taste of earth, soggy tree bark and thin mist – so thin that it couldn’t be seen around – only tasted. And the ground below. Soft under his shoes yet unyielding an inch or so underneath – as hard as granite and equally as cold. The forest was nothing spectacular in terms of area covered but it was the perfect sample or advertisement for a huntsman’s life. At least to Qrow. Because the promise of adventure, darkness and new and unexpected experiences was more alluring than comforts such as a soft bed or warm food. Physical pleasure or comfort could never compare with mental ecstasy. And he believed being doomed to solitude was a good thing perhaps. Only alone could he savour the sensation of adventure, danger and opportunity. He couldn’t picture himself being able to focus on this atmosphere with a companion. If only he could recall this state of mind while surrounded by others. If only he could taste this elevation in his moments of utter despair, brought on by the prospect of permanent solitude… Wait. Was he bipolar?

 

When he couldn’t walk any longer, he found a huge tree with branches as thick as doors and climbed up between two. The terrace they formed would be his bed. Placing the bag under his head and folding the cloak in two, he curled into a ball to allow for the fabric to cover all of him. This way he wouldn’t be very comfortable but at least he would be warmer. In no time at all, he was asleep.

 

Qrow slept for a few hours only because it was still dark when he awoke. He had been hoping to wake up even earlier but had decided, ultimately, to rest sufficiently. After all, there was no official deadline to his mission and the bandits would definitely need a few days at least to find an engineer willing and capable enough to help them take the thing apart. Now he wondered about the chip. It was a big deal, obviously. What was this whole thing? No point in dwelling. He would know soon enough. Still. He was happy he had something to distract him from all the romantic bull. Something exciting to think about rather than obsess about Lyn, whom the more he saw, the more he wanted to see and the more he thought about, or about the complications with the whole Raven-Tai thing… That wasn’t any of Qrow’s concern. Though the bro code did tell him to warn Tai about what Raven was really like. But would he listen? With that major crush on her…

 

Time to move. No time to waste.

 

Within an hour after resuming his quest, Qrow was able to pick up the nomads’ trail. He found their camp in a clearing and sneaked up to it. Covering a substantial area, it consisted of about a dozen tents, two dozen people visible and some beasts of burden. He classically hid in a thick bush and observed the watch. Two lanky men were standing guard, talking about profanities and drinking something. Was it coffee? Was it alcohol? Now the two began discussing the chip and their plans for it. From the snippets he could hear, the spy gathered they had sent several of their men to surrounding towns, in search of engineers. He couldn’t hear enough to know if they had something specific in mind or were grasping for straws. He had to assume the worst. That they were well-organised and prepared and that he had very little time to get the thing.

 

So he circled the camp, very carefully, observing everything. There were torches and luminescent lamps everywhere in the camp, so visibility was not a problem. He saw a big pavilion, more heavily defended, and assumed that either the chip or the leader was there. As if in answer to his silent query, a tall man walked out to shout something at the guard. This man was obviously at a higher position, judging by his clothes, accessories etc. He had dark blue trousers with a goldish-brown hem, combat boots, a white shirt under a fur vest and bracers that appeared to be gilt. His weapon was a huge cutlass, hung at his waist. He didn’t look too tough. Though he was definitely much stronger than Qrow and, aura aside, this fighter’s potential to take a hit was definitely higher than Qrow’s. The latter thought about how horrible it would be to fight this strong man hand-to-hand. The teen had taken more beatings than a lifetime warranted and wasn’t eager to experience the pain and humiliation again. But he didn’t have to. Perhaps too much sparring with Tai had warped his way of thinking – all he had to do was defeat him in a duel, give or take shots fired from Harbinger… That was his plan. To defeat this guy in combat and put a blade to his neck, demanding the chip in exchange for his life. Simple. Qrow had to be quick and flawless but he was confident a bunch of bandits couldn’t be too much for him. Besides, he could see, with his special red eyes, that the man had a weak spot in his side. Was it an old injury or a medical thing, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that a good target had been presented and with it, an opportunity to complete the mission fast and flawlessly.

 

As if. Just as he was stalking from a safe distance, one of the men, a faunus with grey cat ears, got up in the blink of an eye and headed in his direction. Apparently his hearing was superior and he had heard the teenager’s footsteps. Qrow froze, mid-step. The faunus approached, took out a torch [flashlight, my American friends] and pointed it to the exact place where Qrow was hidden. The latter was sure the leaves hid him well enough and with his black clothes, even if the light fell on him, he wouldn’t be recognised as a figure. But he was wrong. Out of the blue, as quick as a flash, the faunus took his gun out and shot a few times at the spot. Qrow did not expect that. Although his aura protected him from the bullets, he sprang back and dashed through the forest. Nobody ran after him.

 

After sprinting for a good ten minutes while cursing himself silently, Qrow stopped to catch his breath and curse out loud. How had they seen him? That faunus must have had keener senses than the teen had expected. So he climbed into a tree to rest and think about what to do. He had run because the plan was not to slaughter everyone… But…

 

So. He could go back and tell Ozpin to send the cavalry. Or, he could try again, but it would be impossible to get to the captain now. Qrow was spotted right outside his pavilion so the guard would have been tripled… What else could he… Yes. He had another idea. Even though he was starting to question the soundness of his plans and his overall sanity.


	8. CRYSTAL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow rests at a hotel while preparing for plan B.

The tired huntsman-to-be walked to the nearest settlement, less than a couple of hours on foot. He headed into a hotel-like inn on the very edge of the town. A neon sign glowed above the extravagant gate: CRYSTAL.

When the receptionist, a young woman in her twenties probably, or not, Qrow couldn’t really tell a woman’s age half the time, saw the figure in front of her, she was speechless. The boy was wearing pitch-black clothes, very rare in Remnant, where the traditions about colour ran deeper than a millennial tree’s roots, even more striking were the bullet holes in these clothes, the small black backpack and the huge weapon that stuck out of it…

‘Hi,’ the guest began apprehensively, ‘I’m on a mission and I need a room for about twenty-four hours, and confidentiality.’

The girl shook off her initial shock and attempted to assume a professional manner. She reached into a drawer to pull out her holo-register and asked her customer to place his scroll onto the reader.

‘Sorry, but I can’t give you a room. Minors can’t stay at a hotel alone,’ she informed him, genuinely apologetic.

Qrow narrowed his eyes in anger but said calmly:

‘Look. My mission is in your interest. Just give me a room, I’ll pay in advance, and on the off-chance that an inspector does show up, I’ll say I lied about my identification or something. I’ll make sure you don’t lose your job. Please.’

The girl agreed after brief hesitation, mumbling that sending Qrow away would be even more irresponsible. He eyed her carefully, surprised that she had agreed so quickly and easily. She seemed intelligent. She must have known that she had no other options. If she were to call the authorities, Qrow would never stay and wait for them to come… And she looked pretty. Very pretty. Her body was slim and graceful and her clothes were the exact opposite of the heavy-duty outfit her customer wore. She had a shirt with a floral pattern, diffused and sporting all the colours of the rainbow. Her trousers, made from a silky material, were sky blue and smooth. Her hair was done up, yellow and shiny. With a smile the pretty creature showed the tired teenager to his room and left him to his own devices.

Physically he was weary and weak, not having slept enough, but mentally he was in a rage, bordering on anxiety about the potentially failed mission. His latest plan seemed folly now… Or genius? Amazing how often these two were difficult to tell apart.

Having taken a shower, the teen looked into the mirror, running his fingers through his hair in a practiced motion. He peered into his own reflection, wondering whether he was huntsman material when… No. Shit! Apparently not! How could he have been so stupid! His earrings! One of them must have glistened while he was hiding in those bushes, reflecting the light aimed at him… That faunus hadn’t had x-ray vision! Qrow growled and took all of his trinkets off. Considered flushing them but then decided it was high time he learnt to be level-headed. So he put them away in his bag. He would never wear them again. Looking edgy was less important than not getting killed, he thought and sighed. Stupid. Very stupid.

Plopping onto the bed in his room, the teenager looked through a brochure he had taken from the reception, just to distract himself for a minute. He felt an immense amount of anxiety and frustration. The brochure showed the hotel from all angles and it seemed much more than a humble inn. The roof was actually transparent so that visitors could see the sky above. Luckily, those whose rooms weren’t on the top floor could enjoy normal accommodation.

A knock interrupted Qrow’s judgemental thoughts. The receptionist girl came in with a plate, several sandwiches onto it. When she saw her guest was lying on his bed naked, not covered by anything, she immediately averted her gaze.

‘Oof. I’m sorry,’ she said sheepishly, ‘just wanted to bring you some food.’

She didn’t know how to put the plate on the bedside table without looking in Qrow’s direction. He thought it was adorable. So he took the plate and thanked her. When she finally computed that he wasn’t embarrassed, she stopped twisting her neck in an unnatural angle and looked at the boy that was less than a foot away from her.

‘Sorry I’m so cringy. I mean, I’m not staring at you, I’m just glad you don’t have any wounds…’

Qrow couldn’t help it. He chuckled. This girl was adorable.


	9. Skye

Before he knew what he was doing, he was holding her wrists, pushing her back into the wall behind her and his tongue – into her mouth. It took her less to reciprocate than it took him to comprehend the situation. Impulsive. Very impulsive. But he slid his palms under her shirt and pulled it up. He licked a long line from her stomach to her neck and then stuck his tongue into her ear while sliding his hand down her stomach and into her trousers, under her panties and then slowly up again. She was trembling slightly, breathing heavily but otherwise doing and saying nothing.

Qrow took her neck in his hand, swung his other one around her waist and pulled her towards him. Then he pushed her in the direction of the bed and the moment she plopped onto the mattress, she started taking off her clothes hurriedly. The anxious teenager helped her peel them off in a second and climbed on top of her. He noticed her skin was quite pale and completely hairless and that she was smiling but trying to avoid his gaze. Luckily, he didn’t care about that. Instead, he tangled his fingers in her hair, pulled her head back so she wouldn’t have to look at him, exposing her neck, and licked it, hard and slow. Then he bit the side of it gently, nibbled on her earlobe and moved down. Her hands were on his back and his were on her small breasts (compared with his sister’s). Qrow squeezed them, how could he skip that part, and then grabbed her thighs, pushing her legs up and burying his face in her labia. She gave a startled gasp that was soon silenced when the aroused teenager slid a wet tongue slowly up her slit. He felt her relax so he continued.

In no time the girl’s breathing deepened and Qrow’s licking did too. He tasted the slight saltiness, going slowly but pushing enough to make an impression. But soon he couldn’t hold back any more so he proceeded to penetrate her. Slowly at first, not knowing how tight she was and if he might hurt her. But once he was all in, she pulled him closer to her so that their whole bodies were touching and she kissed him. He kissed back. He sucked her tongue in line with his thrusts but when they needed a break to gasp, he just buried his face alongside her neck and used his forehead and knees as support points. He thrust into her slow and hard, making her tremble and the bed – creak.

After a few minutes he sat back, pulled her onto his lap and continued like that. Soon after, she was riding him and some time later, he was riding her or, rather, taking her from behind. His lust mostly slaked, he realised his mission was more pressing than ever so he decided to hurry up and give her the ride of her life. Increasing the speed of his thrusts, Qrow slid a thumb against her clitoris and started rubbing up and down. She was so wet that it took him no time at all to get her going. Changing angles and directions, he was finally able to make her orgasm and scarcely able to take it out in time to ejaculate onto her back, having been pushed over the edge by the contractions of her muscles. Simultaneous orgasms were so good. They saved the awkwardness of trying to make the other party come after the actual climax.

It took Skye a good couple of minutes to recover after the thrilling experience and it was then that Qrow asked her her name.

‘Oh, and, uh… One more thing. Got any nail polish remover?’ he smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the names:  
> Three main principles govern the names of characters in the RWBY universe: the name of the original character that a character is based on (Pinocchio for Penny, Little Red Riding Hood for Ruby etc.); colour evocation and tautology, sometimes, like Glynda the Good Witch Goodwitch, Winter Snow, White Snow, Red Red /Ruby Rose/. “Lyn Jade” follows the pattern. “Lyn” refers to his being a lynx and “Jade” gives us green, like his eyes. Even better. “Lin” means “beautiful jade” in Chinese, so we get further reinforcement with his names.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos welcome. Even negative comments.


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